Karnataka

The formation of Karnataka was a monumental step in unifying Kannada speakers, creating a cohesive identity for the region. This journey involved the integration of five distinct administrative units from British India:

1. Mysore State: The heartland of Kannada culture, with its capital at Mysore, later pivotal in shaping the new state.

2. Hyderabad State: Kannada-speaking areas from the Nizam’s domain, including regions like Raichur and Gulbarga.

3. Madras Presidency: Parts of southern Karnataka, including Mangalore and Udupi, known for their coastal significance.

4. Bombay Presidency: Northern Karnataka districts, such as Belgaum and Dharwad, brought under the Kannada fold.

5. Coorg: A small but culturally rich region, known for its unique identity and contributions.

This unification, realized on November 1, 1956 during the linguistic reorganization of states, transformed the erstwhile Mysore State into Karnataka in 1973. This symbolised the shared heritage and aspirations of Kannada speakers across the region.

Kannada speakers were spread along the following districts in different British provinces and princely states. Some princely states like Sangli and Ramdurg had scattered regions in modern-day Karnataka.

1920-1927- Karnataka Ekikarana (Unification) Movement

The Ekikarana Movement aimed to unify Kannada-speaking regions, passing a resolution to achieve this goal. The Indian National Congress (INC) accepted linguistic redistribution of provinces as a political objective in 1920 at its Nagpur session. In 1927, the INC suggested that Andhra, Utkal, Sind, and Karnataka could form separate provinces based on language, traditions, and culture.

1947 Integration into the Indian Union

The state of Mysore was one of the first to accede and integrate into the Union of India, with the Maharaja signing the Instrument of Accession and Standstill Agreement. The region was renamed Mysore State. It had nine districts and was classified as a Part B state. Mysore's integration into the Indian Union was seamless. In August 1947, the Maharajah signed the Instrument of Accession and Standstill Agreement. In June 1949, he revised it for broader legislative powers, except in taxes. Mysore joined the Federal Financial Integration in 1950.

At the time of South Canara district’s transfer from Madras to Mysore state, a Kollegal taluk of Coimbatore state was also transferred to the state of Mysore on linguistic lines. Post-independence, Coorg was demarcated as Part-C state and centrally administered.

1953-1956: SRC and Formation of Mysore State

The Kannada-speaking regions of Bombay, Hyderabad, and Madras were integrated with Mysore. Considering Coorg’s greater linguistic and cultural linkages with Karnataka, it was added as well.

The States Reorganisation Act (1956) integrated Mysore State with remaining areas from four different administrative regions (Coorg, Hyderabad, Bombay and Madras), making up the modern-day Karnataka state with 19 districts

1973: Renaming of Mysore State

After the States Reorganisation Act of 1956, the unified state was still called Mysore State, which didn’t resonate with its newer districts. On 1 November 1973, Chief Minister Devaraj Urs renamed it as Karnataka, as the northern districts played a significant role in the Karnataka Ekikarana Movement

Karnataka in 2011.

Sources- White Paper on Indian States (1950); The Story of Integration of India - V P Menon (1956); Administrative Atlas of India (2011). Origin Story of India’s States -Venkataraghavan Subha Srinivasan (2020).